Deeplinks Blog posts about Transparency

Last week, the New York Timespublished twoimportant op-eds highlighting how the National Security Agency (NSA) has retained expansive powers to warrantlessly wiretap Americans after Congress passed the FISA Amendments Act in 2008. And unlike in 2005—when the exposure of the NSA’s warrantless wiretapping program provoked widespread outrage—Congress is now all but ignoring ample evidence of wrongdoing, as it debates renewing the FISA Amendments Act before it expires at the end of this year.

While EFF has continually criticized the the Obama administration for their lack of transparency, it's becoming clear that as much—if not more—blame rests with Congress. As we explained recently, new "anti-leaks" legislation proposed in the Senate would restrict press freedoms, markedly increase government secrecy, and do significant damage to the public’s right-to-know. But the Senate has passed other laws increasing secrecy in recent years, and has blocked other proposals that would increase openness in government, as classification expert Steven Aftergood detailed in this excellent blog post.

Should the police be allowed to warrantlessly collect and index the DNA of people merely arrested for a crime, while they are still cloaked in the presumption of innocence and have not been found guilty of anything? Over and over again, we've warnedcourts throughout the country the answer is no, and it now looks like judges are taking notice, including the U.S. Supreme Court.